Australian Colleges

There are many colleges in Australia, both private and state run, offering a variety courses in many different fields at different levels of education so it is important to know what you are applying for and that the course you take suits your future goals. GetSet can help you understand what’s on offer at Australian colleges and help you find which ones are right for you.

What is a TAFE college?

In Australia, TAFE stands for Technical and Further Education. Institutes of TAFE offer mostly vocational tertiary courses leading to diplomas and certificates under the National Training System, the Australian system for vocational education training (VET) under the Australian Qualifications Framework. Some have "TAFE" incuded in the name of the college but many don't.

What can I study at an institution of TAFE?

Courses in a wide range of fields can be studied at most TAFE colleges. These include business, finance, hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, visual arts, information technology and community work. Some TAFE colleges specialize in certain areas such as hospitality and tourism or technical skills such engineering and electronics.

Private or public?

There are both. There are many state run multi-campus TAFE colleges in every Australian state.

There are also many private colleges that offer vocational courses as well as bridging and foundation programmes that lead to either year one or two entry at a university. These can vary in quality so contact your nearest GetSet centre to find which one will most suit your needs.

Can I progress to a university with a diploma from an Australian college?

Some Australian colleges are in direct partnership with one or more universities meaning that successful completion of a diploma level courses leads to direct entry into an Australian university.

For example Martin College has agreements with the following universities allowing you, in most cases, to jump right into the second year of a degree program.